Secret mongering
by Mr.Crouch'sDaughter
Summary: When Trip begins to have strange feelings for Archer, will he be able to tell his friend? Warning: Light Slash.


Disclaimer: All characters belong to Paramount Pictures. Story: When Trip is suddenly feeling something very strange for Archer, will he be able to tell his friend? Dedicated to: All people out there who are homosexual and are not ashamed to show it!!! Note: To clear the punctuation: "." means spoken words; '.' means thought words.  
  
Secret mongering  
  
It seemed as the whole Enterprise-crew was in a hurry to make the sip as beauty as no one had seen it before. Trip wondered why there was always such uproar when Vulcans came on board. The Enterprise had already proved that the abilities of the humans to explore the space were exactly as good as the abilities of the Vulcans. Now he stood in Jon's quarter and watched his friend pulling on his best uniform jacket he had. Trip shook his head in disbelieve. Archer saw this, out of the corner of his eyes, and said: " This delegation of Vulcans is very important, Trip. Maybe we can finally convince them that we don't need their ships as nursemaid." " And you think an uniform might influence their decision?" asked Trip amused." It is a beginning," answered Archer. Trip grinned and said:" Well, then you should maybe set right your collar." The captain sank his hands enervated." If you would be kind enough to help me?" he asked and shot Trip a glance. The chief engineer stepped forward." Of course, Jon." He took the corral and wanted to set it right, as his left hand stroke Jon's neck. An unknown feeling streamed through Trip's whole body and he stopped." Trip! I only got ten minutes remaining before I have to be at the shuttle ramp!" The voice of his friend forced its way to his ears." It can't be so difficult to set right a collar!" " Just a minute, Jon. You. You twisted simply everything," answered Trip and set the collar right as fast as he could and resisted the peculiar impulse to lay his hands on the captain's back." Ready," Trip said and made some steps backwards." Thanks." Jon turned around and looked at Trip, who seemed to be confused." Trip?" he asked. The chief engineer looked up." Er. I was just wondering whether I checked all systems this morning. I have the feeling I forgot something. May be better if I go down and look before the Vulcans want to visit it and something doesn't work." And with these words, he almost ran out of the room. Archer looked after him, raised an eyebrow and then went to the shuttle ramp.  
  
'I must have become totally mad!' thought Trip as he had left Jon's quarter. He didn't know what he had felt (or maybe he simply pushed it aside) as his hand had touched Jon's neck but he remembered that it had felt GOOD." God help me!" he muttered as he reached the engineering. Of course, checking the machines had just been an excuse to leave Archer's room, but now he decided it couldn't be bad to check them and divert himself from thinking. And it worked. All systems were working without problems and as he had finished the check, he looked confident. All thoughts of what had happened in the captain's quarter seemed to be blown away. But just in this moment, the Vulcan delegation entered the engine room and with them Archer and T'Pol. Trip's smile faded." Well, this is our engineering. I'm not the right man to show you how everything in here works, but of course I have the right man. Trip?" Archer looked at him and with a inner sigh, he went down." " My chief engineer, Commander Charles Tucker III," said Archer, introducing him to the four Vulcans." We are very pleased to make your acquaintance," said one of them." My pleasure," answered Trip, trying to avoid looking at Archer." Well. First, I'll show you our warp propulsion. If you would please follow me?" He guided the delegation to the propulsion. Though Archer was going behind the Vulcans, Trip felt somehow nervous. And that made him even more confused.  
  
When the tour had ended and the captain and the Vulcans had finally left, Trip also went to his quarter. He sat down on his bed, his face buried in his hands. After sitting there for a while, he decided to take a shower. 'I am behaving like when I was thirteen and had a crush on Jennifer Belamy,' he thought.' But Jon is my friend and not someone I'm in love with.' This thoughts made him feel a little bit better, but then he remembered the feeling he had had when he had touched Jon's neck.' Someone help me!' he thought in misery.  
  
As he had stepped out of the shower and had pulled his uniform on again, the communicator on the left side of the door buzzed." Tucker here," he said and wasn't surprised to hear Jon's voice out of the tool." Trip, Archer here. I expect you to dinner in an hour." " I'll be there," the chief engineer answered. He had expected that Archer would invite him to have dinner with the Vulcans. Archer always invited him to meetings like this. Trip sighed. Surely it wouldn't mitigate his confusion if he had dinner with his friend tonight.  
  
For the first time, Trip envied the Vulcans for being able to control their emotions. He tried, but the result was very pathetic. Since the dinner had begun, he avoided looking at the captain who said beneath T'Pol and every time Archer asked him something, his answer was as short as possible. The Vulcans seemed not to bother, but Trip was sure Archer did. The dinner was a quiet one. Vulcans normally didn't speak when they were eating. Trip didn't know if Archer had convinced the Vulcans that the Enterprise didn't need some nursemaid, but he doubted it. Though his friend could be very charming and convincing, the Vulcans liked the idea of having the control of the Federation. When the Vulcans had finished eating, Archer stood up. " Ambassador Torik, I hoped you enjoyed your meeting," he said and smiled at the Vulcan. The man nodded." Thank you for hospitality, Captain. Maybe you can visit our ship, too." Archer nodded." I would be glad. Now, T'Pol will lead you to your shuttle. I have something important to discuss with Commander Tucker." The Vulcans and T'Pol left the room and Trip tried to look as normal as he could." And? Did you convince the Vulcans about leaving us alone?" he asked." I fear no," answered Archer. Trip knew it was his turn to say something to cheer the captain up, but he couldn't." Now, what do you have to discuss with me?" Archer looked at him, very serious and Trip's heart began to beat faster." Trip, what is wrong with you? You seem confused to me," asked the captain and Trip dammed him for knowing him so good." Nothing, Jon. Just have a bad day," the chief engineer shrugged his shoulders. " You know you can tell me everything," said his friend.' No, this not,' thought Trip." Jon, there is nothing I could say. Maybe it's just the weather," he tried to joke, but Jon's look showed him that he didn't believe him." If you would excuse me now? I have a report to finish." And the chief engineer left the room.  
  
' I have to do something,' thought Trip as he reached his quarter., But what?' He thought about everything he and Jon had done together.' Since when do I feel for him that way?' he asked himself.' Since we met? Since we are on the Enterprise together?' He couldn't find an answer. The only thing he knew was, that he somehow fell in love with his friend and captain and had realised it this morning.' Maybe it's just a phase. Maybe I just have to switch my shifts for a while and avoid having dinner with him and everything will be normal again.' And though not truly believing this, he decided to try it.  
  
One week had passed by since the collar-accident, as Trip had begun to call it and he hadn't seen Archer for longer than probably an hour in these seven days. But his feelings didn't grow weaker, but stronger and Trip found himself more desperate than ever. He sat in his quarters and was studying the Starfleet directions. He searched for a special one, who was known by everyone and hated by everyone and contained that: "No superior shall have a relationship with one of his crewmen." Trip sighed as he found it. Though knowing Archer didn't like this rule like everyone on board, he knew the captain would surely not break it. 'And if, he would not break it for me,' Trip thought. Suddenly, the communicator buzzed. "Commander Tucker here," he answered. " Jon here. Trip, I want to talk to you. Now, in my quarter." " Okay, captain."  
  
It was already after nine o'clock as Trip entered the captain's quarter. Jon was playing with his puppy as the chief engineer came in." You wanted to speak to me?" he asked. Jon looked up." Indeed. I now have the proof that you lied to me last week, Trip. You have something on your mind that bothers you and I want to know what it is," said the captain. Trip sighed." Jon, it has nothing to do with you. Why can't you just leave it? Please," he answered and was surprised how good he was at lying." If it has nothing to do with me, why can't you tell me? And why have you been avoiding it for a whole week?" asked Archer. The chief engineer knew he was trapped and didn't answer. Jon looked at him." It has to do with me, right?" " Yes," answered Trip, unable to lie at his friend." What is it, Trip?" " I can't tell you Jon. I'm sorry, but I can't." The chief engineer hated himself for being so weak, but as he imagined Jon's reaction when he told him he loved him-." Trip, how long do we know each other?" Trip looked up." Please, Jon, don't start like this!" " I'm just wondering, Trip, what could be so bad you can't trust me and tell me. After knowing us for more than eight years, I thought we would be friends, good friends." " I do not contest that we are friends, Jon." The captain shot him a glance." Then why this secret mongering, Trip? Even if you had broken a rule, I surely wouldn't hang you!" Trip looked down.' He must be able to read my mind,' he thought. Of course, Archer had realised that something of his statement must have been right. " Is it that, Trip? Did you break a rule?" " Yes," answered the man." Tell me." Archer said in a captain's tone. " I can't. You would throw me off from the ship as fast as you could," said Trip and Jon looked at him in disbelief. " You are my friend, Trip. I would never throw you off my ship. And you know that." And Trip knew it." Tell me," repeated the captain and Trip found all his barriers falling down as he heard the worried voice of his friend." I love you," he whispered. Archer looked puzzled." What did you say?" he asked, convinced Trip had said something else and not what he had heard. " I love you, Jon." The chief engineer looked up. " I'm sorry." For a moment, Jon seemed to be frozen, then he stepped nearer to his commander." You don't have to be, Trip," he said and lent forward. As Trip traced the warm lips of the captain, pressing onto his and Jon's tongue partings his lips, he found himself more irritated than ever. It was exactly what he wanted, of course, but what about the rules? Immediately, he finished the kiss by turning away. " Trip?" asked Archer puzzled. " What about the rule, Jon?" asked the chief engineer. " Which rule?" " No superior shall have a relationship with a crewmen," quoted Trip. " You are worried about this rule? Nearly no one thinks it males any sense - and I doubt that anyone on board holds it," answered the captain. " But you are the captain. I don't want to cause you trouble," said Trip. " Trip, do you think Starfleet would degrade me just because I love my commander and broke a rule that will surely be changed within the next months?" " I don't know," answered the chief engineer. " Trip, even if they would find out and even if they would degrade me - do you think this would mean more to me than you do? I love you Trip and there is nothing that could make me stop." Trip looked at Jon and smiled as he saw how determined he was about convincing him he could love him. " Well, I think I should trust the captain of the famous U.S.S. Enterprise shouldn't I?" Archer smiled too, and said: " Yes, you should." As their lips met again, Trip didn't hesitate any more.  
  
The end  
  
LadyBoisterousness, 31.05.03 


End file.
